The Hanger on the Wharf

The Hanger on the Wharf is a kind of institution in Juneau.  The building is literally on the water and was formerly home to Alaska Coastal Airlines in the 1940's, but the restaurant was established in 1996.  The beer selection is great, the waitstaff is very attentive, and the pub food is very good.  However, in addition to their pub food menu, the Hanger has a more ambitious dinner menu.  This evening I took a chance...only to be disappointed.

Let me preface the rest of my review by stating that I have eaten at the Hanger several times and enjoyed eating there, but those times I ate off the pub menu eating things like fish 'n chips and burgers.  In those previous visits, I have always left satisfied.

We started with scallops wrapped in bacon.  The scallops tasted fine, but they were criminally overcooked, as was the bacon.  The resulting texture resemble more of a savory miniature hockey puck. The appetizer was followed by seafood chowder.  I like my chowder to be somewhere between thin and runny and so thick your spoon could stand up in it.  This chowder had decent flavor, but was extremely thin.  If I have to add a packet of oyster crackers to thicken it up, it is too thin.

The dinner menu features steaks, seafood dishes, chicken, etc.  I decided to try the Black & Bleu New York Steak.  The steak is rolled in freshly cracked black pepper, charbroiled and then topped with bleu cheese crumbles.  It was not horrible but, perhaps because of my previous experiences, I was expecting something special.  The steak was not a prime cut....it was thin, tough, and not very juicy.  The peppercorn was actually pretty good, but the bleu cheese was far from transcendant.  In a word disappointing....definitely not worth the $42 price tag.

The saving grace for the dinner service was the very attentive wait staff.  My water glass was never empty, and I never had finished dishes sitting in front of me for more than a few seconds.

It is possible that I just got a disappointing dinner.  I suspect that the downtown Juneau merchants and restaurants are overwhelmed with the beginning of tourist season and the cruise ships.  Having said that, it is time to pick up your game, not let it slip away...like a cruis ship in the night.

The Hanger on the Wharf:

Address - 2 Marine Way #106, Juneau, AK 99801

Phone - 907-586-5018

Website - hangar.hangaronthewharf.com

Reservations - Recommended, especially on a Friday or Saturday night, or if there is a cruise ship in town.

Overall Recommendation:  Eat from the pub menu.  It has always been good for me in the past.  The prices are more reasonable than the dinner menu...and the food is much better.

Capital Cafe - Maybe not so capital

My wife and I are in Juneau, for a wedding, for the weekend.  We are staying at the Westmark Baranof Hotel and decided to eat at the in hotel restaurant, the Capital Cafe.  I am usually a bit wary of in hotel cafe type restaurants.  They are not usually unique fine dining experience, and the Capital Cafe definitely backed up my instincts.  Let's just say, I saw the "Grand Slam Breakfast" as one of the options the menu...not really a good sign.

However, I also saw Eggs Benedict which I love...so I ordered those.  They weren't inedible, but I am pretty sure the hollandaise came from a packet and was not made from scratch.  Not much flavor or richness and it needed salt.  The eggs themselves were actually poached almost perfectly, so the breakfast was not a complete loss.  Add a side of extra greasy hash-browns, and lets just say I was underwhelmed.

The waitstaff was friendly, but the restaurant was loud with silverware and plates being bussed and dumped into bins.  Not really a relaxing environment, which I would have been able to overlook with great food, so....no joy.

Capital Cafe:

Address - 127 N Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801

Phone - 907-586-2660

Website - www.westmarkhotels.com/juneau-food.php

Reservations - probably not needed, but you could call ahead to see.

Overall Recommendation:  This not the worst hotel restaurant I have been to.  It serves an adequate variety of breakfast foods.  However, if you are looking for a great dining experience, look elsewhere.

Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe

Friends have been recommending that I give Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe a try for years now.  For some reason, I have never taken the opportunity to stop by.  It is located kitty-corner to REI on the southeast corner of Benson and Spenard.

I am a bit of a burger snob, and I think a lot of people rave about burgers that are pretty mediocre.  Tommy's Burger Stop burgers are pretty darn good!  You may want to wear a bib since the 5 ounce burgers are cooked perfectly and are very juicy.

I had the Stella Bleu Burger and my wife had the Bacon Cheeseburger.  They were brought to us at our outdoor table, and we immediately dove in.  The Stella had a generous amount of blue cheese crumbles and mozzarella.  My wife loved the crispy bacon.  Both burgers were juicy as can be.

We each had a side of fries (they were out of onion rings) and we were less than impressed.  They were cooked well, but the seasoning didn't really do much for us.  I would have like them to be a little more savory.

However, the fries won't keep me from going back.  I already have my eyes on the Sweet Charlotte, the RLE Hello Burger, and maybe a Po-Boy.


Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe:

Address - 1106 West 29th Place (Benson & Spenard), Anchorage, 99503

Phone - 907-561-5696

Facebook Page

Reservations - None.  There is very limited seating inside the restaurant, which means on a busy weekday, the lunch crowd might have to dine out.  During the summer there is some outdoor seating.

Overall Recommendation:  Tasty burgers with ok fries.  STOP by and give it a try.